Climbing safety device

ABSTRACT

A climbing safety device suitable for use with a ladder includes a pair of bar members pivotally connected to the rails of the ladder and movable therealong. A belt interconnects these bar members, and the user of the device connects the belt around his back. Normally, the bar members move freely up and down the rails as the user ascends and descends the ladder. However, upon downward pivotal movement of the bar members, means fixed to the bar members engage teeth defined by the rails to limit downward movement of the bar members and user relative to the rails.

a :Is United States atent [1 1 3,885,647 Acosta May 27, 1975 CLIMBINGSAFETY DEVICE [76] Inventor: Anthony L. Acosta, 1645 Burrows PnmaryEXammer R emaIdO PJ Machado San Francisco Attorney, Agent, FzrmPh1ll1ps,Moore,

Weissenberger, Lempio & Strabala [22] Filed: July 5, 1973 21 Appl. No.:376,539 [571 ABSTRACT A climbing safety device suitable for use with aladder includes a pair of bar members pivotally connected to g 182/8 2 L3g the rails of the ladder and movable therealong. A belt [58] Fie'ld 34 9 interconnects these bar members, and the user of the device connectsthe belt around his back. Normally, the bar members move freely up anddown the rails as [56] References cued the user ascends and descends theladder. However,

UNITED STATES PATENTS upon downward pivotal movement of the bar meme 6dm id t w mm vm s noa m emf u fi F 0 g mmn .m 0 m v W r mdu r Z Y, a h Dune Z emf. 4h, 6 Z S m m L d .l. mw n C r O? 1r 6 l M w m m m 156 55533. 55?: t i mwm m mmm M k l /& bfib V n d 555:5;2:55:51:- 5:: HHUWM8888/ 11112 n n H 1 Mn N m mm T nPdmm umon .mmmw m DPHFJ 3320 3357799999 HHHH 99 00 06096 67630 1212.1 233 CLIMBING SAFETY DEVICEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a climbing safetydevice, and more particularly to a device adapted to be worn by aclimber which will arrest his descent under predetermined downwardmovement of the climber.

In the prior art, there are various types of climbing safety devicesintended for use in ascending or descending upwardly extending climbingmembers such as ladders or the like, for preventing the fall of theindividual under circumstances where the individual loses his footing orgrip on the member being climbed. For example, see US. Pat. No.3,523,591 to Fountain, US. Pat. No. 3,410,364 to Fountain, US. Pat. No.3,348,632 to Swager, U.S. Pat. No. 1,927,469 to Plumpton, and FrenchPat. Nos. 1,336,836 and 1,473,300. In general, many of such devicesdepend for their operation on camming devices which are used to jamagainst other members.

Many of such devices have been found to be suitable to various degreesin arresting the fall of the climber. On the other hand, many of theprior art devices have been found to be either complicated inconstruction, or cumbersome to the extent of interfering with orimpeding the normal ascent or descent of the climber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide aclimbing safety device which provides for the safety of a personutilizing the device when he has accidentally lost his footing or gripon the member being climbed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a climbing safetydevice which, while fulfilling the above object, allows for the freeascent and descent of the member being climbed by the user of the deviceunder normal conditions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a safety climbingdevice which, while fulfilling the above objects, is extremely simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, and effective in performance.

Broadly stated, the invention comprises a climbing safety device for usewith an upwardly extending member for preventing the fall of the userthereof as the user ascends or descends along the upwardly extendingmember. Such climbing safety device comprises means interconnecting theuser and the upwardly extending member and comprising a bar memberpivotally connected to the upwardly extending member and movabletherealong as the user ascends and descends along the upwardly extendingmember. The upwardly extending member defines a plurality of depressionsalong its length. The climbing safety device further comprises engagingmeans fixed to the bar means and seatable in any one of the depressionsto engage the surface defining the depression upon predetermineddownward movement of the user which pivots the bar member relative tothe upwardly extending member, to limit downward movement of the barmember and user relative to the upwardly extending member, the barmember normally being disposed in an attitude relative to the upwardlyextending member to allow relatively free movement of the user and thebar member upwardly and downwardly along the upwardly extending memberwith the engaging means removed from and free of the depressions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in its normal operating environment;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines III-Ill in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Shown in FIGS. 1-3 is a firstembodiment of the inventive climbing safety device 10. As shown therein,the device is used in combination with an upwardly extending ladder 12,which is made up of rails 14,16 interconnected by rungs 18. Bar members20,22 are associated with the rails 14,16 respectively, and as these barmembers 20,22 and their associated structure are similar in constructionand operation, only bar member 20 and rail 14 and their association willbe described in detail.

Bar member 20 has rotatably fixed to one end thereof a roller 24. Suchroller 24 is disposed within and rollable along a channel 26 defined bythe rail 14 (i.e., rail 14 is actually an elongated channel member).Thus, the bar member 20 is pivotal upwardly and downwardly relative tothe rail 14, and is movable upwardly and downwardly along the rail 14through rolling of roller 24 in the channel 26.

The rail 14 defines a plurality of teeth 28 along its length as shown.The spaces between the tips of these teeth 28 defines a plurality ofdepressions 30. A flange member 32 is fixed to the bar member 20 andextends therefrom past the teeth 28. The flange member 32 defines alower edge 34 which, it will be seen, is seatable in any one of thedepressions 30 to engage the surface defining such depression, uponpredetermined downward pivoting of the bar member 30 relative to therail 14. However, with the bar member 20 in an upward attitude, with theedge 34 removed from the depressions 30, relatively free movement of thebar member 20 upwardly and downwardly on the rail 14 is allowed, throughthe rolling of such roller 24 in channel 26. In the use of such device,a belt 36 interconnects the bar members 20,22, andis disposed about theback of the user 38. As the user 38 normally ascends or descends theladder 12, bar members 20,22 move freely up and down the respectiverails 14,16 because the engaging means (i.e., the flange members) areremoved from and free of the associated depressions defined by rails14,16. However, if the individual 38 should, for example, slip on therung and start to fall downward, the edges of the flange members (at 34)upon predetermined downward movement of the individual 38 and downwardpivoting of the bar members 20,22, will engage respective surfacesdefining the depressions between the teeth of the rails 14,16. Thus, thefall of the user is prevented.

In FIG. 4, a similar safety device 40 is shown, except that a blockmember 42 is fixed to and extends from the bar member 44, instead of theflange member 32. Such block member 42 defines a plurality of teeth 46,as shown which, upon the previously described downward pivoting of barmember 44, are seatable in a plurality of depressions 48 defined by theteeth 50 of the associated rail 52. Thus, the operation of thisembodiment of safety device 40 is gubstantially the same as that of theprevious embodiment. However, in this embodiment, even greater Contactbetween the rail 52 and the railengaging means is provided, for anextremely positive support.

What is claimed is:

1. A climbing safety device for use with an upwardly extending memberfor preventing the fall of the user thereof as said user ascends ordescends along the upwardly extending member comprising:

means interconnecting the user and the upwardly extending member andcomprising a bar member connected at one end to the user and pivotallyconnected at the other end to the upwardly extending member and movabletherealong as the user ascends and descends along the upwardly extendingmember;

the upwardly extending member defining a plurality of depressions alongits length;

engaging means fixed to the bar member intermediate its ends andseatable in any one of said depressions to engage the surface definingsaid depression upon predetermined downward movement of the user whichpivots the bar member downwardly relative to the upwardly extendingmember to limit downward movement of the bar member, and user relativeto the upwardly extending member;

the bar member normally being disposed in an attitude relative to theupwardly extending member to allow relatively free movement of the userand the bar member therewith upwardly and downwardly 4. The device ofclaim 2 wherein the engaging means comprise a block member fixed to andextending from the bar member and defining a plurality of teeth seatablein a plurality of said depressions.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein said upwardly extending membercomprises an elongated channel member, and wherein the bar member ispivotally connected to the channel member by means of a roller rotatablyfixed to the bar member and disposed within and rollable along thechannel defined by the channel member.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said upwardly extending membercomprises an elongated channel member, and wherein the bar member ispivotally connected to the channel member by means of a roller rotatablyfixed to the bar member and disposed within and rollable along thechannel defined by the channel

1. A climbing safety device for use with an upwardly extending memberfor preventing the fall of the user thereof as said user ascends ordescends along the upwardly extending member comprising: meansinterconnecting the user and the upwardly extending member andcomprising a bar member connected at one end to the user and pivotallyconnected at the other end to the upwardly extending member and movabletherealong as the user ascends and descends along the upwardly extendingmember; the upwardly extending member defining a plurality ofdepressions along its length; engaging means fixed to the bar memberintermediate its ends and seatable in any one of said depressions toengage the surface defining said depression upon predetermined downwardmovement of the user which pivots the bar member downwardly relative tothe upwardly extending member to limit downward movement of the barmember, and user relative to the upwardly extending member; the barmember normally being disposed in an attitude relative to the upwardlyextending member to allow relatively free movement of the user and thebar member therewith upwardly and downwardly along the upwardlyextending member with the engaging means being removed from and free ofsaid depressions.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said upwardlyextending member defines a plurality of teeth along its length, thespaces between the tips of said teeth defining said depressions.
 3. Thedevice of claim 2 wherein the engaging means comprise a flange memberfixed to and extending from the bar member, and defining an edgeseatable in any one of said depressions.
 4. The device of claim 2wherein the engaging means comprise a block member fixed to andextending from the bar member and defining a plurality of teeth seatablein a plurality of said depressions.
 5. The device of claim 3 whereinsaid upwardly extending member comprises an elongated channel member,and wherein the bar member is pivotally connected to the channel memberby means of a roller rotatably fixed to the bar member and disposedwithin and rollable along the channel defined by the channel member. 6.The device of claim 4 wherein said upwardly extending member comprisesan elongated channel member, and wherein the bar member is pivotallyconnected to the channel member by means of a roller rotatably fixed tothe bar member and disposed within and rollable along the channeldefined by the channel member.